A Rs 300 annual insurance premium was meant to secure Rs 10 lakh for a family if tragedy struck. But when a man died in a road accident in May 2024, his widow’s claim was rejected because his driving licence had expired. Nearly two years later, a Karnataka Consumer Commission has directed the insurer to pay the Rs 10 lakh, holding that the fatal crash was caused by a tipper lorry driver’s negligence and that rejecting the claim amounted to deficiency in service.

The Hassan District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission president Chanchala C M and member Anupama R were hearing a complaint filed by the woman, aged around 60, against a private insurer and a private bank over the rejection of her husband’s accidental death insurance claim.

“The accidence occurred due to rash and negligence manner of lorry driver and the insured man had not contributed in any manner to the accident.…